Kansas officer returns to work after brain tumor

BUTLER COUNTY, Kan. (KSNW) – Never say never. A former Rose Hill police officer is wearing the uniform again following a serious health scare.

“At one point, I was kind of wondering if I could even do this again, so it’s definitely a blessing everything turned out good,” said Steve Frahm.

Frahm, 30, was forced to leave his job with the Rose Hill Police Department in September of 2019 after doctors found a tumor on his brain.

He spent days in a Wichita hospital before getting treatment at the Mayo Clinic.

“One of the nurses up there I was talking to, she told me, ‘These things can be really bad, but don’t ever fear it. Just respect it and what it can do,'” Frahm explained.

Shortly after his diagnosis, Frahm underwent surgery to have the tumor removed. His health has since improved.

“I am completely off restrictions now. I have been given the green light to get back into law enforcement,” he said.

Frahm’s buddy told him about a job opening at Butler Community College. In February, Frahm put on his police badge again.

“I know that can kind of be a scary thing for a department to have to take on, you know, not knowing exactly what my future holds as far as my health goes,” he said. “They have all been nothing but completely supportive. Ultimately, that was the deciding factor for me on knowing for a fact that this is where I wanted to be.”

“He’s an excellent example for these kids to look to for perseverance,” said Butler Community College Police Chief Jason Kenney. “I am proud of the guy and like I said, it’s not taking a chance with him, he’s done what he needs to do to stay in this career path.”

Frahm credits his wife and kids for pushing him to stay the course.

“My family was very supportive and very encouraging. They didn’t let me give up my dream of being a police officer, so they pushed me to keep fighting and get back to it,” Frahm said.

He must go to the Mayo Clinic for regular check-ups, however, his health no longer impacts his day-to-day duties. He said the experience has made him a better man.

“You gotta have that mentality that you are better, you are stronger, you can’t let anything in life that is thrown at you keep you down,” Frahm said. “You can do anything if you have the will and the desire to actually do it.”